Rec'd Passports

[DEERINH2O]

Wooo Hoooo, I must have been lucky, ordered the kids passports for a cruise in August and I ordered them early to give myself more than enough time to receive them. Well I went to the passport facility on 3/6/06 and got them in the mail today. Thats 17 days, that is quick. It took 6 weeks to get mine. I guess they are processing quick.

I was just excited and had to share.

 

Kathy

[Kaki321]

I am SO glad you shared that! thanks.

 

We sail on May 7th and I decided to get them passports last minute, in lieu of the birth certificate documentation. They don't really need them now, but they will need them come Dec 31.

 

I am taking them this weekend to get the passports done. This gives me hope that there is still time.

 

Thanks!

[caribbean dreams]

WOW! that was fast, i did my kids the first week in march also, i hope they arrive quickly also.

My DH did his passport last year for a trip to China and it took exactly 6 weeks to arrive.

 

[zqvol]

I am SO glad you shared that! thanks.

 

We sail on May 7th and I decided to get them passports last minute, in lieu of the birth certificate documentation. They don't really need them now, but they will need them come Dec 31.

 

I am taking them this weekend to get the passports done. This gives me hope that there is still time.

 

Thanks!

A word of caution. You should have enough time, but you have to send the certified birth certificate in with the passport application. Make sure you have two of them in case they don't get back in time.

[DqALEX]

Mine took 3 weeks also

[Kaki321]

A word of caution. You should have enough time, but you have to send the certified birth certificate in with the passport application. Make sure you have two of them in case they don't get back in time.

 

totally forgot about that! thanks for the reminder. looks like we won't be getting passports until after the cruise.

 

zqvol, I love you! you just saved me a trip to the post office this weekend with my 2 and 5 year old :) :) :)

[BrendaB1]

Not so lucky here. It's been 7 weeks & mine is not here yet. :mad:

[Jessica312]

We recieved our passports in the mail yesterday, took about 3 1/2 weeks. I was really shocked at how quickly they came.

[gfsmith]

WTG! We got ours 2 weeks ago Our friend got hers just this week. Now we just have to wait for the cruise.:(

[DEERINH2O]

I agree, now that I have them, I want to use them....... But DH says I have to wait the 132 days til we go and cannot book a quick one just to use the passports:p

 

Well off to do some shopping,

everyone have a great day.

 

Kathy

[VentureMan_2000]

Just got ours in the mail yesterday and today... 6 weeks to the day...

 

You do have the option of paying more $ and get your passport expedited.

[WeBeCruisin']

I recently renewed mine and my wife's and had to send them from North Carolina to New England somewhere, but it still only took five weeks for it to be completed. I was pleased. :)

[luvz2run2000]

Just opened ours, they came in the mail today. The woman said, "4 to 6 weeks" and it took 4 weeks, so not bad. Now I just need to figure out a way to make the calendar jump from March to May.

[fdwt994]

6 weeks and counting...

[Lurkyloo]

I am SO glad you shared that! thanks.

 

We sail on May 7th and I decided to get them passports last minute, in lieu of the birth certificate documentation. They don't really need them now, but they will need them come Dec 31.

 

I am taking them this weekend to get the passports done. This gives me hope that there is still time.

 

Thanks!

 

When in May are you going? And do you have extra original Birth Certificates in case the passports don't come (you have to relinquish your originals to get passport! The originals come back with the passports!) Don't want to burst your bubble, but my husband's took 6 weeks, as did my aunt. Her friend's took 7 weeks! (They got them early March).

 

This close to cruise, I think I would hang on to the birth certificates and send for the passports AFTER the cruise just in case (but then again, I'm paranoid about those things! :D )

[luvz2run2000]

Good point Lurkeyloo! I was surprised that she kept our birth certificates when we filed our passport paperwork. I thought she would verify it and check off a box on the form someplace.

If they are cruising May 7th and don't have back ups for their birth certificates I agree with you that they should wait until they get back to apply for passports.

[legalmom]

My Husband received his in 6 weeks, still have not received mine, said something was wrong with the picture taken at the clerk's office. Trying to work with the other picture sent. Can check the status of your passport at travel.state.gov. :)

[Family Man]

Based on my recent experiences, the information posted above regarding birth certificates is totally accurate. Back in September 2005, DW and I went to the post office to submit our paperwork for passports for our trip on the Sapphire Princess to Mexico in November 2005. We knew we didn't techically need passports for Mexico yet, but wanted to "beat the crowd" and go ahead and get them. As luvz2run2000, we assumed we just showed someone our birth certificates and they just check off on the form they saw them. Wrong! You do have to submit originals and they will be returned in the packet with your passport. We were informed it would take about 6 weeks to get the passports back, which was right about the time we were to leave. We too decided to wait until after the cruise to apply for the passports. BTW, the customs line getting off of the Sapphire for those with a passport was practically non-existent compared to the "birth certificate" line. We decided passports were definitely the way to go for next time!!!

 

Fast forward.... DW and I are going to our timeshare in Puerto Vallarta for a week at the end of June. Therefore, we wanted to get the passports. Additionally, we are taking DDs on the Carnival Spirit to Mexico in November, so we also needed passports for everyone. We went to the post office at the beginning of March and were told the wait was now 6-8 weeks. No problem, we still had plenty of time. The good news is, it only took 3 weeks and 2 days! :D

 

An important point is to make sure you have a certified copy of your birth certificate from a governmental agency (county, state, etc.). When DW and I went on the Paradise out of Miami in 2004, I used the birth certificate that I used way back when I got my driver's license and marriage certificate. The problem is, it was issued by the hospital where I was born and is considered more of a "keepsake" (it had my footprints on the back, etc.). When we tried to get on the ship, I was told what I had was not a certified birth certificate. :eek: I didn't know any better. When you are from California and are in Miami ready to board a ship and hear something like this, your heart starts to race a little. It worked for my driver's license and marriage certificate! Anyway, she ended up letting me board, but warned me to get the real thing for next time. So, if you are over 40 and plan to try to use the certificate the hospital gave your parents, consider yourself warned. Don't be naive like I was. ;)

 

Happy cruising!